Bolting-cloth stretcher



July 21, 1925. 1,546,400

I L. B. NICHOLS BOLTING CLOTH STRETCHER Filed May 7, 1923 JWM/mi@ Patented July 21, 192.5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.y

LAWRENCE B. NICHOLS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN NELSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BOLTING-CLOIH STRETCHER.

Application filed May 7,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE B. Nici-foros, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bolting-Cloth Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for stretching and tensioning sheet material, and has for its object to provide simple and substantial means for placing sheet material under tension uniformly in directions at right angles to each other. It is an object to provide a stretching apparatus that may be readily adjusted to be operative upon sheets of different widths. Another object is to provide a stretching machine that may be readily set up or assembled and may be readily knocked down and compactly stored when not in use. Another object is to provide a stretching machine upon which the material to be tensioned may be quickly applied and may be quickly removed.

Other objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following specification of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan of the improved stretcher showing a sheet of material applied thereto to be stretched, portions of the sheet being broken away to disclose adjacent parts of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation and sectional view of the machine, parts of which are broken away to conserve space.

Fig. S is a perspective of one of the bearing blocks of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a form of bearing providing for variation of Climension of the apparatus.

The invention is shown as including a set, in the present case comprising four rods 2, adapted to be assembled in quadrangular formation, and having their ends rotatively mounted in bearing blocks provided at the corners of the quadrangular frame and in which the rods are rotatively journaled. A feature of the invention is to provide means for concurrently rotating all of the rods with a uniform, angular movement, so that a sheet of material S may be uniformly tenisoned in two directions at right angles to each other, preparatory to being secured to a frame F, (shown in dotted lines) Figure 1923. Serial No. 637,292.

The rods 2 are provided with sharpened teeth 8, the teeth of each rod being in a longitudinal, straight row, and all of the rodsbeing initially adjusted so that the teeth will project similarly as to the ,axis of the rods of the system. i

The 'ends of the rods are each provided with bevel gears 4, and the gears at the corners of therod frame are set in mesh with each other, and a diagonally opposite bearing means is provided which consists of a .substantially lai-shaped block 5, Figure 3, one arm of which is provided with a bore 6 to receive a bushing 7, Figure 4, which is channelled or split so as to permit longitudinal shifting of the respective toothed rods 2, the .split of the bushing providing for the passage of the teeth 3of the rods. The other arm of the bearing block 5 is provided with a bearing aperture 8 to receivethe. contiguous end of a rod 2; the bearing aperture 8 being disposed at right angles to the bearing bore 6. The space 9 between the side arms of the U-shaped bearing element provides for the introduction of one of the gears 4, while the companion gear may abut against the contiguous end face 6a of the bearing part 6.

The diagonally opposite bearings 5 thus provide means for enabling the rods 2 of one pair, which are arranged in parallelism, to be shifted toward or from each other, as indicated by the arrows a, Figure 1, as determined by the width of a sheet of material S which is to be applied to the rods and stretched.

At one corner of the frame, formed of the rods Q, is provided a substantially U-shaped bearing block 10, in which the contiguous ends of the rods are mounted in boresA at right angles to each other, and contiguous to this block is provided a pair of gears 4, providing means for rotating their respective rods, the rotation of which is accomplished as by means of a crank or handle part 12, provided on the projected end of a y rod 2 passing through the bearing block 10.

Means are provided for automatically latcbing the several rods after they have been rotated to such a degree as is desired in the tensioning of the sheet S, and such means is here shown as including a ratchet wheel 13, fixed on a rod 2, and engaged by a locking pawl 14, provided on the bearing block 10. The corner of the frame which is diagonally7 opposite the bearing bloei; l0 may beprovided With a substantially L'- shaped bearing block 15, in which' aremounted, at right' angles, the contiguous ends of rods 2. Oneotjtherods maybe provided with set collars 16, to prevent end movement in the bearing 15, Whilethe other" providedl forfiholding the stretching liranie in'aii elevatedV position above the ground,- iioo'r or. bench, niiay be desired, and suoli meansconsists oa lock 20," having a head 2l with a lateral vslot 22, adaptedlto receive one'o'f'the bearing blocks or the frame. The inserted bearing-block is adapted'to lhe detachablyfsecured.as by a. set or clamp screiv ,From-th'e above it will be seen` that -in theuse'of the device, the operating handle l2 is .rotated to such! a degree as to bring thefteeth l2 toj a desired position-about the frame byr rotation of the rods. The sheet of materialr S then applied to the teeth 3 asu'nito'rmly as may be practicable, 'after which the operating handle 12 is rotated and this' causes'the simultaneous operation, with equal` angular movement, oit the several toothed rods; their initial movement being outward as to'thesheet'S, Withthe result that :the sheet is teiisioiied to the desired degree,". after which Ait may be tacked or otherwise secured, ifvdesired,I toa frame F. The', rods are'automatically latched as they are rotated" during the tensioning of the sheet. as by latch mechanisnr 13A-lll. Special attention is: Called to the ready adj usta'bility fon expanding y or contracting thel lframe, each cornerbearingbeinf,r adapted to hold tivo rods at right angles toyeachother and to-` hold one rod vrigidly7V against endivise l' movement and to hold the other rod adjustably for endvvise movement.

Alilurther embodiments, modiiioations and variations Ymaybe resorted sto Wit-hin the principle' of tlie.iiivention.,

What! is claimed is:

l. In a sheet material stretchinginachine, a set' offrotatalole toothed rodsv forming-a qnadrangular traine, bearings in which the ends off the rods.. are rotatively mounted, each bearing being adapted to holdone.V rod rigidlyM against endivisey movement and to hold the other. rodadjustably endivise, means for concurrently rotating all the" rods with a uniform degree ofmovemennand means for holdingthe rods against reverse rotation bythej tensioned appliedsheet material engagingthe teeth of the rods.

2; In la sheet material stretching machine, setV orl rotatable toothed rods forming a qnadrangular frame, bearings-in which the ends` of.: the rods aferotatively nronnteth each; bearing being adapted to hold one rod rigidly' against endWise movement and to meanstf'or holding the rods against reverse rotation by the tensioned applied sheet material engagingtheteeth of the rods, certain of said 'bearings permitting: longitudinal passage therethrough of-'respective rods so' that other parallel rods canbe movedtoe Ward'or from each other inparallelism.

3. ln a"'machine.` for stretching pliant sheet` material', af set'r of' four" rotatable toothed" rods adapted". to be vassembled.' in que-.drangular arrangement, each of: saidV rods having* gears meshingv with contiguous gears. on th'e'other rods, bearings att-he corners of the rod frame fory supporting the contiguous [ends ofthe rods and from which bearings the said rods extend atright angles to each oth-ier, each bearing beingk adapted to hold' one rod rigidly against. endv'visel movement and to* hold the other'rod. adjust# ablf;7 endivise, androfd rotating ymeanspro vid'edonone ofvsaidrods.

4f. In .a machine for' stretchingpliant sheet inaterial," a set of vfour rotatable toothed rods# adapted' to be assembled in quadrangulan arrangement, each 1 of said rods having` f gears nieshi'ng With contiguous gears on theother rods,fbearingsat the corners oi the rod frame for supportingthe contiguous -ends of the rods and from which bearings the said `'rods lextend at rightangles to eachfother, each' bearing beingadapted to hold onefrodl rigidly against endvvise movementA and ,to hold theother rod adjustably endvvise, rod r'otatingineans provided on one,of'said'rods;-andjineans for latching the rods againstreaotion under the tension of asheet applied, tof the teeth lotfthe rods.

5L' In a `maohine for' `stretching pliant sheet material, a setV of :tour rotatable toothedfrods 'adaptedL to` he 'assembled in quadrangular arrangement, -.each of said rods havingigearsmeshing With contiguous gears on the othery rods;v bearings at the core. ners ot Vthe rodfranie for supportingthe contiguous ends of the rods and v.from whichbearingsthe said rods extend 'at right angles toeaeh other, and rod `rotating meansv prof vided. on one of sadffrods, gcertainiotithe bearings yp rovidii'igi.for' an axialmovenient of certain rods f. thereinfto provide .foin conT tractiony or expansion, in one dimension, .of the frame. y f l 6." A cloth 'l stretcher.. comprisiine;v in` com; bination a.- set oii'iiour rotatab'letoothed rods, a frame `to lholdlsaidrodsv inquadrangular arrangement, agearl on each' e-nd 'of tvvo rods on contiguous'sides; a single gearon oneend offeach'offtheopprosite rods, and means to rotate one of the rods having two gears and through inter-meshing of the gears at the Corners rotate all the rods.

7. A cloth stretcher as claimed in claim 6 having in addition blocks at corner frames with apertures therethrough adapted to permit longitudinal movement of a rod seated therein.

8. A cloth stretcher comprising in combination four rotatable rods, corner blocks forming hearings for the rods and adapted to maintain the rods in quadrangular arrangement, a gear on each end of two rods on adjoining sides, a gear on one end of each of the two rods on the opposite sides, means to rotate a driving rod and through intermeshing gears rotate all the rods, means to tension oloth or other material between the rods, and means to restrain the driving rod from movement under the tension of the material.

9. A elo-th stretcher as claimed in claim 8 in which some of the eorner blocks have means to permit longitudinal movement of the rods, and means to clamp the rods in desired positions.

In testimony whereol I have signed my name to this specification.

LAlVR-ENCE B. NICHOLS. 

